Orthodox holidays in January

). Just as the new year is the beginning of the days of summer, so on this day it is necessary to gather into the soul such thoughts, feelings and dispositions that could, worthy of a Christian, direct the entire course of his affairs throughout the year. We will immediately find this as soon as we take into account that there is a new year in spiritual life. In spiritual life, there is a new year when someone living in negligence begins to be zealous about salvation and pleasing God: for when someone decides to do this, then everything inside and outside him is rebuilt anew and on new principles - the ancient passes by and everything becomes new. If you have it, renew it; and if not, do it, and you will have a new year. The worthy celebration of the circumcision of the Lord and the memory of St. Basil the Great. The essence of this change is that from this moment a person begins to live solely for God for his salvation, whereas previously he lived exclusively for himself, preparing for his own destruction. Here he gives up his old habits, all pleasures and everything in which he found pleasure; cuts off passions and lustful dispositions and accepts acts of strict self-sacrifice. And such a change represents exactly what, according to the Apostle, circumcision of the heart should be, which the celebration of the circumcision of the Lord reminds us of and obliges us to, and the example of which is represented by St. Basil the Great. So all the objects crowded in the consciousness on New Year’s Day converge in one thing - our inner renewal through circumcision of the heart. If the Lord favors someone to set themselves up for the New Year in this way, i.e., not only to think like this but also to put all this into practice, he will celebrate the New Year in the most perfect Christian way and prepare for the Christian passage of the entire summer. In the next New Year, he will only need to renew and revive what he has perceived now.

( ; ). "The house of God, which is the Church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth." Consequently, there is no need for us to turn our eyes here and there to see if there is truth somewhere. She is close. Be in the Church, contain everything that it contains, and you will be in the truth, you will possess the truth and live according to it and in it, and as a result of this you will be filled with the truth. There is no truth outside the Orthodox Church. She is the only faithful guardian of everything commanded by the Lord through the Holy Apostles and is therefore the real Apostolic Church. Others have lost the Apostolic Church, and, as in the Christian consciousness, are convinced that only the Apostolic Church can faithfully preserve and indicate the truth, they decided to build such a church themselves, and built it, and gave it such a name. They gave a name, but the creatures could not tell. For the Apostolic Church was created by the good will of the Father, the Lord Savior, by the grace of the Holy Spirit through the Apostles. People can't create something like this. Those who think of creating one are like children playing with dolls. If there is no true Apostolic Church on earth, there is no point in wasting effort on creating it. But thanks be to the Lord, He did not allow the gates of hell to overcome the Holy Apostolic Church. It is and will remain according to His promise, until the end of the age. And this is our Orthodox Church. God bless!

At its core, the Orthodox church calendar-Easter consists of two parts - fixed and movable.
The fixed part of the church calendar is the Julian calendar, which differs by 13 days from the Gregorian calendar. These holidays fall on the same day of the same month every year.

The moving part of the church calendar moves along with the date of Easter, which changes from year to year. The date of Easter celebration itself is determined according to the lunar calendar and a number of additional dogmatic factors (not to celebrate Easter with the Jews, to celebrate Easter only after the spring equinox, to celebrate Easter only after the first spring full moon). All holidays with variable dates are counted from Easter and move in time on the “secular” calendar along with it.

Thus, both parts of the Easter calendar (movable and fixed) together determine the calendar of Orthodox holidays.

The following are the most significant events for an Orthodox Christian - the so-called Twelfth Feasts and Great Holidays. Although the Orthodox Church celebrates holidays according to the “old style”, which differs by 13 days, the dates in the Calendar, for convenience, are indicated according to the generally accepted secular calendar of the new style.

Orthodox calendar for 2017:

Permanent holidays:

07.01 - Nativity of Christ (twelfth)
14.01 - Circumcision of the Lord (great)
19.01 - Epiphany of the Lord (twelfth)
15.02 - Presentation of the Lord (twelfth)
07.04 - Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (twelfth)
21.05 - Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian
22.05 - St. Nicholas, Archbishop of Myra in Lycia, wonderworker
07.07 - Nativity of John the Baptist (great)
12.07 - Holy First. apostles Peter and Paul (great)
19.08 - Transfiguration of the Lord (twelfth)
28.08 - Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary (twelfth)
11.09 - Beheading of John the Baptist (great)
21.09 - Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (twelfth)
27.09 - Exaltation of the Holy Cross (twelfth)
09.10 - Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian
14.10 - Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary (great)
04.12 - Entry into the Temple of the Blessed Virgin Mary (twelfth)
19.12 - St. Nicholas, Archbishop of Myra in Lycia, wonderworker

Days of special remembrance of the dead

02/18/2017 - Ecumenical Parental Saturday (Saturday before the week of the Last Judgment)
03/11/2017 - Ecumenical Parental Saturday of the 2nd week of Lent
03/18/2017 - Ecumenical Parental Saturday of the 3rd week of Lent
03/25/2017 - Ecumenical Parental Saturday of the 4th week of Lent
04/25/2017 - Radonitsa (Tuesday of the 2nd week of Easter)
05/09/2017 - Commemoration of deceased soldiers
06/03/2017 - Trinity Parents' Saturday (Saturday before Trinity)
10/28/2017 - Dmitrievskaya Parents' Saturday (Saturday before November 8)

ABOUT ORTHODOX HOLIDAYS:

TWELVETH HOLIDAYS

In worship Orthodox Church twelve great holidays of the annual liturgical circle (except Easter). Divided into The Lord's, dedicated to Jesus Christ, and the Theotokos, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

According to the time of celebration, the twelfth holidays are divided into motionless(non-transient) and movable(transitionable). The former are constantly celebrated on the same dates of the month, the latter fall on different dates every year, depending on the date of celebration Easter.

ABOUT MEAL ON HOLIDAYS:

According to the Church Charter on holidays Nativity of Christ And Epiphanies, happened on Wednesday and Friday, there is no post.

IN Christmas And Epiphany Christmas Eve and on holidays Exaltation of the Holy Cross And Beheading of John the Baptist Food with vegetable oil is allowed.

On the feasts of the Presentation, Transfiguration of the Lord, Dormition, Nativity and Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Entry into the Temple of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Nativity of John the Baptist, the Apostles Peter and Paul, John the Theologian, which occurred on Wednesday and Friday, as well as in the period from Easter before Trinity Fish is allowed on Wednesday and Friday.

ABOUT FASTS IN ORTHODOXY:

Fast- a form of religious asceticism, the exercise of spirit, soul and body on the path to salvation within the framework of a religious view; voluntary self-restraint in food, entertainment, communication with the world. Corporal fasting- food restriction; sincere post- limitation of external impressions and pleasures (solitude, silence, prayerful concentration); spiritual fasting- struggle with one’s “bodily lusts”, a period of especially intense prayer.

The most important thing is to realize that physical fasting without spiritual fasting brings nothing to the salvation of the soul. On the contrary, it can be spiritually harmful if a person, abstaining from food, becomes imbued with the consciousness of his own superiority and righteousness. “He who believes that fasting only means abstaining from food is mistaken. True fasting“, - teaches St. John Chrysostom, “is removal from evil, curbing the tongue, putting aside anger, taming lusts, stopping slander, lies and perjury.” Fast- not a goal, but a means to distract yourself from enjoying your body, concentrate and think about your soul; without all this, it becomes just a diet.

Great Lent, Holy Pentecost(Greek Tessarakoste; Lat. Quadragesima) - the period of the liturgical year preceding Holy Week And Easter holiday, the most important of the multi-day fasts. Due to Easter may fall on different dates of the calendar, Lent also each year starts on different days. It includes 6 weeks, or 40 days, which is why it is also called St. Pentecostal.

Fast for an Orthodox person this is a set of good deeds, sincere prayer, abstinence in everything, including food. Physical fasting is necessary to perform spiritual and mental fasting; all of them in their combination form the post is true, promoting the spiritual reunification of those who fast with God. IN days of fasting(days of fasting) the Church Charter prohibits modest food - meat and dairy products; Fish is allowed only on certain fasting days. IN days of strict fasting Not only fish is not allowed, but any hot food and food cooked in vegetable oil, only cold food without oil and unheated drinks (sometimes called dry eating). In the Russian Orthodox Church there are four multi-day fasts, three one-day fasts and, in addition, fasting on Wednesday and Friday (with the exception of special weeks) throughout the year.

Wednesday and Friday installed as a sign that Christ was betrayed by Judas on Wednesday and crucified on Friday. Saint Athanasius the Great said: “By allowing meat to be eaten on Wednesday and Friday, this man crucifies the Lord.” During the summer and autumn meat-eaters (periods between the Petrov and Assumption fasts and between the Assumption and Rozhdestven fasts), Wednesday and Friday are days of strict fasting. During winter and spring meat-eaters (from Christmas to Lent and from Easter to Trinity), the Charter allows fish on Wednesday and Friday. Fish on Wednesday and Friday is also permitted when the holidays of the Presentation of the Lord, the Transfiguration of the Lord, the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, the Entry of the Virgin Mary into the Temple, the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Nativity of John the Baptist, the Apostles Peter and Paul, and the Apostle John the Theologian fall on these days. If the holidays of the Nativity of Christ and Epiphany fall on Wednesday and Friday, then fasting on these days is canceled. On the eve (eve, Christmas Eve) of the Nativity of Christ (usually a day of strict fasting), which happens on Saturday or Sunday, food with vegetable oil is allowed.

Solid weeks(in Church Slavonic, a week is called a week - days from Monday to Sunday) means the absence of fasting on Wednesday and Friday. Established by the Church as a relaxation before a multi-day fast or as a rest after it. The continuous weeks are as follows:
1. Christmas time - from January 7 to January 18 (11 days), from Christmas to Epiphany.
2. The Publican and the Pharisee - two weeks before Great Lent.
3. Cheese - the week before Lent (eggs, fish and dairy are allowed throughout the week, but without meat).
4. Easter (Light) - week after Easter.
5. Trinity - the week after Trinity (the week before Peter's Fast).

One-day posts except Wednesday and Friday (days of strict fasting, no fish, but food with vegetable oil is allowed):
1. Epiphany Eve (Epiphany Eve) January 18, the day before the feast of the Epiphany. On this day, believers prepare themselves to receive the great shrine - Agiasma - Epiphany Holy Water, for purification and consecration with it at the upcoming holiday.
2. Beheading of John the Baptist - September 11. On this day, a fast was established in memory of the abstinent life of the great prophet John and his lawless murder by Herod.
3. Exaltation of the Holy Cross - September 27. This day reminds us of the sad event on Golgotha, when “for our salvation” the Savior of the human race suffered on the Cross. And therefore this day must be spent in prayer, fasting, contrition for sins, in a feeling of repentance.

MULTI-DAY POSTS:

1. Great Lent or Holy Pentecost.
It begins seven weeks before the holiday of Holy Easter and consists of Lent (forty days) and Holy Week (the week leading up to Easter). Pentecost was established in honor of the forty-day fast of the Savior Himself, and Holy Week - in remembrance of the last days of earthly life, suffering, death and burial of our Lord, Jesus Christ. The total continuation of Great Lent along with Holy Week is 48 days.
The days from the Nativity of Christ to Lent (until Maslenitsa) are called Christmas or winter meat-eater. This period contains three continuous weeks - Christmastide, Publican and Pharisee, Maslenitsa. After Christmastide, fish is allowed on Wednesdays and Fridays, until the whole week (when you can eat meat on all days of the week), which comes after the “Week of the Publican and the Pharisee” (“week” in Church Slavonic means “Sunday”). In the next week, after the full week, fish is no longer allowed on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, but vegetable oil is still allowed. Monday - food with butter, Wednesday, Friday - cold food without butter. This establishment has the purpose of gradual preparation for Great Lent. The last time before Lent, meat is allowed on the “Meat Eating Week” - the Sunday before Maslenitsa.
In the next week - cheese week (Maslenitsa), eggs, fish, and dairy products are allowed all week, but they no longer eat meat. They make a fast for Lent (the last time they eat fast food, with the exception of meat) on the last day of Maslenitsa - Forgiveness Sunday. This day is also called “Cheese Week”.
It is customary to observe the first and Holy Weeks of Great Lent with particular strictness. On Monday of the first week of Lent (Clean Monday), the highest degree of fasting is established - complete abstinence from food (pious laymen with ascetic experience abstain from food on Tuesday as well). During the remaining weeks of fasting: on Monday, Wednesday and Friday - cold food without oil, Tuesday, Thursday - hot food without oil (vegetables, cereals, mushrooms), on Saturday and Sunday vegetable oil is allowed and, if necessary for health, a little pure grape wine (but in no case vodka). If the memory of a great saint occurs (with an all-night vigil or a polyeleos service the day before), then on Tuesday and Thursday - food with vegetable oil, Monday, Wednesday, Friday - hot food without oil. You can find out about the holidays in the Typikon or the Followed Psalter. Fish is allowed twice during the entire fast: on the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (if the holiday does not fall on Holy Week) and on Palm Sunday, on Lazarus Saturday (the Saturday before Palm Sunday) fish caviar is allowed, on Friday of Holy Week it is customary not to eat any food until it is taken out shrouds (our ancestors did not eat food at all on Good Friday).
Bright Week (the week after Easter) is continuous - fasting is allowed on all days of the week. Starting from the next week after the continuous week until Trinity (spring meat-eater), fish is allowed on Wednesdays and Fridays. The week between Trinity and Peter's Fast is continuous.

2. Petrov or Apostolic Fast.
Lent begins a week after the feast of the Holy Trinity and ends on July 12, the day of the celebration of the memory of the holy apostles Peter and Paul. Established in honor of the holy apostles and in remembrance of the fact that the holy apostles, after the descent of the Holy Spirit on them, dispersed to all countries with the good news, always being in the feat of fasting and prayer. The duration of this fast varies from year to year and depends on the day of Easter. The shortest fast lasts 8 days, the longest - 6 weeks. Fish is allowed during this fast, except on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Monday - hot food without oil, Wednesday and Friday - strict fasting (cold food without oil). On other days - fish, cereals, mushroom dishes with vegetable oil. If the memory of the great saint happens on Monday, Wednesday or Friday - hot food with butter. On the Feast of the Nativity of John the Baptist (July 7), according to the Charter, fish is allowed.
In the period from the end of Peter's fast to the beginning of the Assumption fast (summer meat-eater), Wednesday and Friday are days of strict fasting. But if these days fall on the feasts of a great saint with an all-night vigil or a polyeleos service the day before, then food with vegetable oil is allowed. If temple holidays occur on Wednesday and Friday, then fish is also allowed.

3. Assumption Fast (from August 14 to August 27).
Erected in honor of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Mother of God herself, preparing to depart into eternal life, constantly fasted and prayed. We, the spiritually infirm and weak, should all the more resort to fasting as often as possible, turning to the Most Holy Virgin for help in every need and sorrow. This fast lasts only two weeks, but its severity is consistent with the Great One. Fish is allowed only on the day of the Transfiguration of the Lord (August 19), and if the end of the fast (Assumption) falls on Wednesday or Friday, then this day is also a fish day. Monday, Wednesday, Friday - cold food without oil, Tuesday and Thursday - hot food without oil, Saturday and Sunday - food with vegetable oil. Wine is prohibited on all days. If the memory of a great saint happens, then on Tuesday and Thursday - hot food with butter, Monday, Wednesday, Friday - hot food without butter.
The food regulations on Wednesdays and Fridays during the period from the end of the Dormition Fast to the beginning of the Nativity Fast (autumn fast) are the same as during the summer meat-eater, i.e. on Wednesdays and Fridays, fish is allowed only on the days of the twelfths and temple holidays. Food with vegetable oil on Wednesday and Friday is allowed only if these days fall on holidays in memory of a great saint with an all-night vigil or a polyeleos service the day before.

4. Christmas (Filippov) fast (from November 28 to January 6).
This fast was established on the day of the Nativity of Christ, so that we could cleanse ourselves at this time with repentance, prayer and fasting and with a pure heart we would meet the Savior who appeared in the world. Sometimes this fast is called Filippov, as a sign that it begins after the day of celebration of the memory of the Apostle Philip (November 27). The regulations regarding food during this Lent coincide with the regulations of Petrov's Fast until St. Nicholas Day (December 19). If the feasts of the Entry into the Temple of the Blessed Virgin Mary (December 4) and St. Nicholas fall on Monday, Wednesday or Friday, then fish is allowed. From the day of remembrance of St. Nicholas until the pre-festival of Christmas, which begins on January 2, fish is allowed only on Saturday and Sunday. On the pre-celebration of the Nativity of Christ, fasting is observed in the same way as during the days of Great Lent: fish is prohibited on all days, food with butter is allowed only on Saturday and Sunday. On Christmas Eve (Christmas Eve), January 6, pious custom requires not to eat food until the appearance of the first evening star, after which it is customary to eat kolivo or sochivo - wheat grains boiled in honey or boiled rice with raisins; in some areas sochivo is called boiled dry fruits with sugar. The name of this day comes from the word “sochivo” - Christmas Eve. Christmas Eve is also before the feast of the Epiphany. On this day (January 18), it is also customary not to eat food until taking Agiasma - Epiphany holy water, which begins to be blessed on the very day of Christmas Eve.

Honoring Orthodox holidays is an integral part of the life of believers who strive to observe all canons and religious rituals. In this article we will name and characterize all Church holidays in Russia in 2017 year, which almost completely coincide in date with the holiday church days of any other Orthodox country.

There are many different classifications of holidays in the church calendar. For an ordinary person, it doesn’t make much difference which particular scheme to use in everyday life, since one has to navigate when and what holiday according to the church calendar 2017 An inexpensive calendar bought in the icon shop of any Orthodox church will help.

But each calendar always uses one or another classification, so you need to know its meaning in order to behave correctly on the day of a religious celebration.

For convenience, we have roughly divided all church holidays into five main groups. Some of them are divided into subgroups:

Great Orthodox holidays

This group includes all celebrations that Orthodox people consider to be more important than others. These days, as a rule, they renounce worldly life, do not work, gather with their family at the table, go to church services, bless water, icons, and food.

Twelfth Orthodox holidays

These identities are also very important in the church calendar. They received the name Twelve because they are included in the list of the 12 most valuable holidays for Orthodox people after Great Easter. They in turn are divided into:

Moving holidays are those that change their date every year (the day of their celebration is counted from the date of the Great Resurrection of Jesus Christ).
Impermanent - having a constant date.

Lents

These are the days when you need to strictly abstain from eating. They are divided into two main subgroups:

One-day fasts - restrictions that must be observed for no more than one day
Multi-day fasts - fasts that need to be observed for weeks or even months

Weeks

All Souls Days

These days, families gather for meals at home and go to cemeteries to the graves of deceased relatives to remember them.

Church holidays calendar 2017

Since the main church holidays were listed in the classification, for clarity, we transferred them to the calendar, denoting them conditionally:

Red numbers in the calendar indicate important church holidays
Days highlighted in pink are days of strict fasting
Days highlighted with a black square are days of remembrance of the dead

Days highlighted in lilac are days of non-strict fasting, when you can eat everything except meat and fish.
Days highlighted in light lilac are every Saturday and Wednesday, when you need to fast, even if you are not fasting
Days highlighted in red are major church holidays

Church holidays in January 2017

In January we will celebrate a lot of religious holidays. The very first and greatest celebration is the Nativity of Christ, which is celebrated annually Jan. 7. From this day until the 17th, the Christmas weeks will begin - the days when, after a long and most difficult fast, you can afford to eat different meat dishes.

A week after Christmas - January 14- we are expecting an equally significant holiday - the Circumcision of the Lord. January 19- a holiday beloved by the people - Epiphany frosts, when everyone jumps into the ice hole, drinks strong drinks and bless the water. On this day you can enjoy delicacies after a one-day fast ( January 18) - Christmas Eve.

Church holidays in February 2017

The beginning of February will be associated with the week of the Publican and the Pharisee, which will last from 6 to 11 February. Then in the middle of the month (February, 15) The Orthodox people will celebrate the great holiday of the Meeting of the Lord. 18th We will remember the memory of our deceased parents - it will be Ecumenical Parents' Saturday.

From 20 to 26 February we will gorge ourselves on pancakes during Maslenitsa week, after which February 27 Lent will follow. It will last until Easter.

Church holidays in March 2017

Lent, which is the strictest of all, will last throughout March. Relaxation in food will be allowed only on a few Saturdays this month - March 11, 18 and 25. These will be the weeks of Great Lent.

Church holidays in April 2017

April is a month of great religious celebrations. 7th Orthodox Christians will celebrate the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. April 9 is one of the major religious holidays - this is the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem, from which the pre-Easter week begins.

April 16 the entire Orthodox world will rejoice at the Great Feast of the Resurrection of God's Son Jesus Christ - Easter. Joyful days - Easter week - will last seven days from 17 to 24 April. It will be replaced by the general memorial day of Rodonitsa ( 25th of April).

Church holidays in May 2017

There are no special church celebrations in May. The exception is 9th May- day of remembrance of fallen soldiers, and the great twelfth holiday May 25- Ascension of the Lord.

Church holidays in June 2017

June in the church calendar will begin with the memorial Trinity Saturday - June 3.June 4 The Great Trinity will be celebrated, after which the festive Trinity Week will begin. It will end 12 June, and from this day a multi-day Apostolic fast will begin, which must be observed until until July 11.

Church holidays in July 2017

July, despite the fact that fasting will last almost half a month, is full of religious holidays. July 7 Orthodox Christians celebrate the Nativity of Ivan the Baptist, and 12th Saints Paul and Peter are honored.

Church holidays in August 2017

August is also quite busy with religious celebrations. From 14 to 27 August Of course, you will need to observe the Assumption Fast. 19th we will celebrate the great holiday of the Transfiguration of the Lord, and 28th, when the fast is already completed, the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Church holidays in September 2017

There are only three major church holidays in September, on each of which you must completely limit yourself in food. We are talking about the holiday of the Beheading of John the Baptist ( 11 September) and the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary ( September 21) and the Exaltation of the Holy Cross ( September 27).

Church holidays in October 2017

October is also not full of church celebrations. October 14 Orthodox Christians will celebrate the annual Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which is considered one of the most important days in the religious calendar. 28 of October We will remember our deceased loved ones on Dmitrievskaya Saturday.

Church holidays in November 2017

In the end of November - 28th The great Nativity fast will begin. There will be no other church holidays or significant days in November.

Church holidays in December 2017

All December until 6th January Lent will continue until Christmas. Also 4 numbers This month marks the Entry into the Temple of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Video: Review of the Orthodox calendar for 2017

In this video, Abbot Bartholomew talks about the history and Orthodox traditions of celebrating the Great Resurrection of Christ - Easter.

Christians all over the world are looking forward to the coming of January, because it is in this month that Christmas comes - a great holiday revered by all Orthodox Christians.

To believe in God, you don’t have to go to church, but at the same time, you must know and remember the list of holidays that fall on a particular month. Find out which Church holidays in January 2017, you can from the detailed Orthodox calendar presented below.

Orthodox holidays in January 2017

January 1, 2017 (Sunday)

Memorial Day of Ilya of Murom (Ilya the Wonderworker).
The week before Christmas.
Memorial Day of the Martyr Boniface of Tarsus.
The Nativity Fast is underway.

January 2, 2017 (Monday)

Hieromartyr Ignatius the God-Bearer.
The Nativity Fast is underway.

January 3, 2017 (Tuesday)

Glorification of the great martyr Juliana.
Forefeast of the Nativity of Christ.
The Repose of Saint Peter, Metropolitan of Moscow and All Russia, Wonderworker.
The Nativity Fast is underway.

January 4, 2017 (Wednesday)

Forefeast of the Nativity of Christ.
Great Martyr Anastasia the Pattern Maker.
The Nativity Fast is underway.

January 5, 2017 (Thursday)

Forefeast of the Nativity of Christ.
Day of remembrance of the Hieromartyr Basil and the Reverend Martyrs Macarius and John.
Ten Cretan martyrs.

January 6, 2017 (Friday)

The Eve of the Nativity of Christ (Christmas Eve).
Memorial Day of the Venerable Martyr Eugenia and others like her.
It's coming.

January 7, 2017 (Saturday)

Nativity
Christmastide
Worship of the holy Magi: Melchior, Gaspar and Belshazzar.

January 8, 2017 (Sunday)

Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Christmas time.

January 9, 2017 (Monday)

Apostle of the First Martyr and Archdeacon Stephen.
Christmas time.

January 10, 2017 (Tuesday)

Memorial Day for 20,000 martyrs who suffered in Nicomedia.
Christmas time.

January 11, 2017 (Wednesday)

14,000 infant martyrs, killed by Herod in Bethlehem.
Faithful Joseph the Betrothed, King David and Jacob, brother of the Lord.
Christmas time.

January 12, 2017 (Thursday)

Saint Macarius, Metropolitan of Moscow.
Christmas time.

January 13, 2017 (Friday)

Celebration of the Nativity of Christ.
Memorial Day of the Venerable Melania the Roman.
Christmas time.

January 14, 2017 (Saturday)

Circumcision of the Lord.
Day of St. Basil the Great.
Saturday before Epiphany.
Christmas time.

January 15, 2017 (Sunday)

Forefeast of Epiphany.
Repose, second discovery of the relics of St. Seraphim, the Wonderworker of Sarov.
Christmastide

January 16, 2017 (Monday)

Forefeast of Epiphany
Memorial Day of the Holy Prophet Malachi. They predicted the appearance of the Savior, the Forerunner and the Last Judgment.
Christmas time.

January 17, 2017 (Tuesday)

Forefeast of Epiphany.
Council of the 70 Apostles.
Christmas time.

January 18, 2017 (Wednesday)

The Eve of Epiphany (on the eve of Epiphany).
Strict fasting should be observed on this day.
Hieromartyr Theopemptos, Bishop of Nicomedia, and Martyr Theona the Magus.

January 19, 2017 (Thursday)

Holy Epiphany. Baptism of the Lord (Baptism of the Lord Jesus Christ).

January 20, 2017 (Friday)

Council of the honest and glorious Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord John.
Fast day.

January 21, 2017 (Saturday)

Venerable Gregory, Wonderworker of Pechersk
Memorial Day of Saints George Khozevit and Emilian the Confessor.
Saturday after Epiphany.

January 22, 2017 (Sunday)

Saint Philip, Metropolitan of Moscow and All Russia, miracle worker.

January 23, 2017 (Monday)

Saint Theophan, the Recluse of Vyshensky.
Venerable Paul of Komel (Obnorsky).

January 24, 2017 (Tuesday)

Venerable Theodosius the Great, director of the general lives.
Reverend Michael of Klopsky, Novgorod.

January 25, 2017 (Wednesday)

Tatiana's Day is the day of the holy martyr Tatiana, who suffered for her faith.
Saint Sava, Archbishop of Serbia.
Fast day.

January 26, 2017 (Thursday)

Day of Remembrance of the Martyrs Yermil and Stratonik.

January 27, 2017 (Friday)

Celebration of the Feast of Epiphany.
Day of Equal-to-the-Apostles Nino, enlightener of Georgia.
Fast day.

January 28, 2017 (Saturday)

Reverends Paul of Thebes and John Kushchnik.

January 29, 2017 (Sunday)

Worship of the chains that bound the Apostle Paul.

January 30, 2017 (Monday)

Worship of the first desert dweller and monk Anthony the Great.

January 31, 2017 (Tuesday)

Saints Athanasius and Cyril, Archbishops of Alexandria.
Reverend Schemamonk Cyril and Schemanun Maria, parents of St. Sergius of Radonezh.

In addition to church celebrations in January, there are fast days, which are also respected, honored and remembered by all believers. On such days, they deprive themselves of various foods, eating only those foods that the church allows.

Fast days in January 2017

Multi-day fast in January 2017 - The Christmas fast (multi-day) will begin on November 28, 2016 and end only on January 6, 2017.
One-day posts in January 2017 - January 18, January 20, January 25 and January 27.
During the period from January 7 to January 17, there are no one-day fasts, since Christmastide is celebrated on these days

We have sorted out the list of holidays falling in January. Now I’ve come to talk about the most important and most valuable days in the second winter month, which should be given special attention.

Nativity

At Christmas, the souls and hearts of Christians are filled with light, love and happiness. On this day the Savior, Jesus Christ, was born, so everyone who honors and respects his laws should celebrate the holiday with dignity. At Christmas, it is customary to wish each other well, all kinds of prosperity and, of course, health. Many songs written specifically for this winter celebration praise the Lord, the Mother of God and Christ himself.

On Holy Evening, it is customary to visit each other, take the Holy Supper and treat the host and hostess to it. On this day, children go from house to house and sing carols, sing songs, and recite poems.

Christmas is also famous for fortune-telling, which, as a rule, come true. From time immemorial, girls have performed Christmas fortune-telling to determine their destiny, find out about their lover and find answers to a number of other questions.

Circumcision of the Lord

After birth, on the eighth day, Jesus Christ accepted Circumcision - this was done with all newborn male babies. This holiday is also extremely important for the Orthodox Church.

January 14 is still familiar to all of us as the Old New Year. On this day, it is customary to say goodbye to everything that happened last year and hope for the best in the future. There is a tradition that is passed down from generation to generation.

From January 13 to 14, men come to the house of their relatives, friends or just neighbors to “sow” special cereals and wish them all the best and health.

Epiphany or Holy Epiphany

As the Gospel says, John the Baptist, a mere mortal who led one of the Jewish sects, performed a great sacred act during his lifetime - he baptized the thirty-year-old Jesus Christ in the Jordan River.

During the baptism, a bright white light suddenly flashed and the Holy Spirit descended to earth in the form of a snow-white dove. And a loud voice came from heaven - it was the Lord himself speaking. He told that Jesus was his son and that his blessing lived in him. This holiday symbolizes the appearance of the Holy Trinity: God, his son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, who descended to people in the form of a white dove.

After his baptism, Christ acquired an incredible gift and used it to benefit others.

Throughout the history of its existence, the Feast of Epiphany has acquired many traditions, rituals and signs. Perhaps the most important and ancient tradition is swimming in an ice hole. For a long time, people went to the pond to swim in the icy water, wash away all their sins and gain health for the whole year. It was believed that on this day water is charged with energy and can cure all kinds of diseases.

Tatyana's Day

Each saint has a special meaning for the Orthodox Church. These people were elevated to the ranks of saints for a certain great deed, so they are remembered to this day.

On February 25, the church “gave” it to the Holy Great Martyr Tatiana (Titiana). She grew up and studied in the family of a noble Roman dignitary who secretly preached Christianity. The growing love for the Almighty gave Titiana the strength to do good throughout the entire earth. The young girl did not even want to get married, but devoted herself entirely to serving the church.

During the persecution to which Christians were subjected, they wanted to sacrifice the Holy Great Martyr Titiana to a pagan idol. But the woman’s faith did not shake; for this, Emperor Alexander Severus gave the order to torture Titiana. During such bullying, the martyr did not betray her God and was faithful to him until her last breath.

By the way, Titiana is considered the patroness of students, so January 25 is also familiar to us as Student’s Day.

January is one of the months with the largest number of Orthodox church holidays. Despite the strict fasting that occurs at the beginning of the month, January 2019 is replete with a lot of days for breaking the fast, due to the presence of two twelfth holidays in the month.

Nativity

01/01/19– continuation of an earlier post.
From 01/02/19 to 01/06/19– observance of the strict Nativity fast, starting on November 28, 2018. If believers observe fasting, dry eating is recommended on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, the use of oil is prohibited; on weekends, the use of oil is allowed. Before the celebration of the Nativity of Christ, eating fish is prohibited from January 3rd.
01/06/19– Christmas Eve, preparation for Christmas. The name of the holiday is rooted in history. According to previously accepted tradition, believers who wished to be baptized on Christmas Day observed fasting before the ceremony. After baptism, they ate soaked honeyed wheat grains and fruits. This dish was called “sochivom”, as a result of which the holiday was named.

01/07/19- Nativity. The holiday of the Nativity of Christ, celebrated by Orthodox Christians according to the old style. Breaking the fast, breaking the fast. Celebrated with wide festivities and glorification of the holiday of Christmas. Christmas is celebrated on January 7th of every year and is a constant date in any calendar. The holiday is considered the most revered, with preliminary abstinence and fasting for a long time.
From 01/07/19 to 01/17/19- Solid week, Christmastide. Removing a post.
01/08/19– Nativity of Christ – continuation of the celebration, Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
01/13/19– The last day of celebrating the Nativity of Christ. According to the old style - the beginning of the New Year.
01/14/19- The non-twelfth holiday. Circumcision of the Lord. According to the biblical Old Testament law, male babies were circumcised, which Jesus Christ accepted on the eighth day after his birth. According to the text of the Old Testament, at the moment of the ritual, the child is introduced to the covenants of God, Abraham and his descendants.

Baptism

From 01/15/19– Preparation for the celebration of Epiphany (Epiphany).

01/18/19- Epiphany Christmas Eve, the eve of the Epiphany. Believers must prepare to accept Agiasma - washing the body with blessed baptismal water. Before the onset of Epiphany, fasting is expected until the first sprinkling of Epiphany water with food intake only after the Divine Liturgy. It is recommended to eat a honey mixture of wheat and fruits. Caroling and eating carols - baked cookies in the shape of animals. One of the “carols” was left for the entire next year as a talisman.
01/19/19- Holy Epiphany (Baptism of the Lord). According to the text of the Gospel Scripture, on this day John the Baptist baptized Jesus Christ in the sacred waters of the Jordan River. At the moment of the Baptism of the Lord, the Holy Spirit descended from heaven in the form of a white dove and a Voice was heard that said: “This is my beloved Son, and in Him is My Favor,” which is regarded as the Epiphany and manifestation of the Holy Trinity (the baptized Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit in the form of a dove, God the Father). On this day, the consecration of water is carried out - the blessing of water. The blessing of water is carried out in temples and ice holes on any reservoirs, called by analogy - Jordan. On this day, couples are blessed for their wedding.
01/20/19– continuation of the celebration of Epiphany. Cathedral of the Baptist and Baptist John. The beginning of a meat-eater, breaking the fast. Any food and consumption of fish is allowed on Wednesdays and Fridays. Inclusive until February 17.
01/22/19– Saint Philip, Metropolitan of Moscow and All Rus'.